Rescue mission brings back 19 rangers stranded in Thai-Cambodian border jungle
The Third Army Aviation Battalion under Suranaree Task Force deployed helicopters to rescue 19 paramilitary rangers stranded in dense forest along the Thai-Cambodian border after a prolonged absence of contact lasting 137 hours.
On Wednesday, the official Facebook page of the Third Aviation Battalion released video footage of helicopter missions launched to locate and extract the missing rangers.
The troops had gone missing during a patrol operation in a conflict zone and were last heard from at 1am on July 23.
The Bell 212 helicopter conducted three flights into the area to retrieve the rangers, all of whom were found alive, albeit physically exhausted and with minor injuries. The unit had been trapped in the jungle for nearly six days.
Without air support, the extraction on foot would have taken another 3–4 days due to the difficult terrain, dense vegetation, and unstable weather. The successful rescue was completed on Tuesday (July 29), with all personnel safely returned.
Search & Rescue (SAR): 19 exhausted frontline brothers return home after 137 hours of nightmare. Everyone’s been waiting. Trust me—we are “RAPTOR”, the page said.
According to a report by Krungthep Turakij, the rangers had originally been deployed to man a checkpoint in Ubon Ratchathani province before being cut off amid clashes between Thai and Cambodian forces. Once hostilities escalated, the unit was unable to withdraw from the area.
